My first Transfer to Tula Mexico

My first transfer was to Tula, Mexico about 50 miles north of Mexico City. Tula had some neat ruins that we saw ever day we worked there. We actually lived in San Marcos about five miles south of Tula with a widow member sister. The ruins were interesting. They fit together like tinker toys. One P-Day we took off into the hills surrounding Tula just to dig around and saw lots and lots of pieces of pottery and little stone carved figures. There were lots of evidence that once the place was covered with houses and people. Tula when I lived there had only about 20 thousand people in it. But when it was the capital of the Toltec Empire it probably had 500,000 people living in the area.

The missionary work in Tula was difficult and slow. When it got dark everyone went to bed and didn't want to be bothered by us missionaries. We didn't have any late night discussions like we used to have all the time in Mexico City. There was no bus service. We had bicycles to ride. I had three companions in Tula during the two months I worked there. My first companion was transfered to the office after about two weeks with me. I was sent a missionary who came out with me as my companion. The transfer said that we were supposed to be co-junior companions. Essentially I was the senior companion. Two to three weeks later, I received a new companion, my last senior companion. He was a mexican elder from up north. He was going home soon and was the trunkiest missionary I ever had as a companion. He wasn't interested in working just visiting the members, especially members with young women in their families. He made me sick and and I litterally ended up in the hospital in San Marcos. From the hospital I was taken by the assistants back to the mission home in Mexico city to recouperate.

After getting better I hoped I wouldn't have to go back to Tula.